PÃ¡ramo Men’s Enduro Jacket

You can buy a jacket for the price of a round of drinks, or you can buy one for the price of a week’s holiday in a nice hotel. The PÃ¡ramo Men’s Enduro Jacket, which I’ve been trying out for several weeks, falls into the latter category. And, rather like the aforementioned holiday, it makes for a very pleasurable experience.

It’s not just feeling dry that makes wearing this jacket such a comfortable experience. It’s also very soft and flexible, and moving about in it I feel as though I’m wearing a favourite jumper or a much-loved fleece rather than a tough outer garment guarding me against the elements. This comfort is partly down to the material itself, and also to the stretch panels in the shoulders, sleeves and sides.

There are plenty of pockets, each side of the chest or torso has two large ones, accessed in opposite directions. Two of these are designed for hand-warming as well as storage â€“ and here’s where my first slight reservation appears. For me, these pockets are on the high side for hand-warming. The jacket has been designed to leave the lower area clear, and this will be an advantage if wearing a climbing harness. But if you’re a walker rather than a climber, and one who likes to stick their hands in their pockets on easy strolling stretches, as I do, you can only do do by adopting a rather forced, pointy-elbowed, position. One of the outermost chest pockets, though, is secured by Velcro rather than a zip, which is handy. There is also a small, secure inside pocket for phone, keys, or valuables.

I find the hood is easily adjustable, its peak keeps the rain off well, and it neither slips back off my head nor slides down over my eyes, as hoods on other jackets have. But here comes my second reservation, again a slight one only. My two previous walking jackets â€“ a Berghaus and a Sprayway â€“ have had hoods that roll away into the collar when not needed â€“ which, even in Scotland, is a fair proportion of the time. The Enduro’s hood, no doubt because the peak makes it impractical, needs to stay out all the time. And because the hood’s interior is in the same contrasting colour as the rest of the jacket’s lining, it’s rather noticeable.

My third and final quibble is that the Enduro is short â€“ certainly compared to other jackets I’ve had. I’m sure there are sound reasons for this, and the short style plays a part in the jacket’s phenomenal comfort level. But if you’re wearing, say, a biggish jumper underneath, then it will probably poke out of the bottom of the jacket, looking a bit scruffy and potentially getting wet â€“ though if the rain is more than a shower you’d doubtless be donning your waterproof trousers, which would come up over the jumper. I’m 6ft 3ins and have an XL jacket â€“ I’m pretty sure the XXL would be too voluminous.

Because of these three features that, for me, are not quite ideal, I feel I have to give the Enduro a relatively modest star rating. But for other wearers those factors â€“ lack of low-down pockets, always-out hood and shortish style â€“ Â will not be disadvantages at all, and for these users the Enduro will be among the very best jackets available. Even for myself, it’s a pleasure to wear.

The Enduro is a men’s jacket, though PÃ¡ramo’s Ventura jacket, for women, has similar features. It costs Â£330, comes in XS, S, M, L and XL sizes and weighs, on average 802g.